


Warren's Anxiety

by MrsVakarian



Category: Sky High (2005)
Genre: F/M, Pining, Post-Canon, poor baby warren
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-07-12 10:44:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19944874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsVakarian/pseuds/MrsVakarian
Summary: Warren never really wanted friends but thanks to a convincing flower child, now he has an excess of them. Having two best friends was more than he ever thought possible for himself and he'll be damned if he messes it all up just because of some stupid 'feelings'.





	Warren's Anxiety

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this YEARS ago and figured I should finally post it somewhere! There's gotta be some Sky High fans still out there!

“Warren are you ok?”

Warren lazily moved his eyes away from the window to look at the red head across the table. She stared at him with an eyebrow raised, the plastic fork in her hand loaded with a bite of her usual leafy greens. Warren raised his brows in a look that clearly asked ‘why are you looking at me’. 

“I’m fine, why?”

Layla rolled her eyes and shrugged.

“You just seem distracted.” She took the bite off her fork.

Warren’s gaze lingered on her for a moment longer before he looked back out of the window. Distracted. If there was a word to describe how he’d been feeling lately, distracted would probably be it. It’s not like he hadn’t tried paying attention when his…friends…were talking. He uses the term friends loosely when describing those he’s associated with by extension of Will. Will and Layla are really the only two he considers his true friends. More accurately, those he doesn’t get regularly irritated by. Which makes this situation that much harder. 

He let his eyes wander back to where Layla sat, directly across from him as usual. She was talking to Violet who sat on her left, her face lit up in a smile, her shoulders shaking lightly as she laughed while telling her story. Probably something to do with the Hero Exercise they had the other day. He watched as Will, who was sitting on her right, moved his hand to take hers and sent her a small smile. Warren’s stomach twisted and he looked away. 

That was how the last couple of months had been for Warren. Though Stronghold was now his best friend, it was his flower child girlfriend that he had technically befriended first. Admittedly against his will. Layla had the special ability to get under your skin. A few cleverly worded exchanges and one bat of those pretty brown eyes and she had you. She has quite the devious silver tongue for someone with her hippie reputation. And he loved that about her. 

In fact Warren loved practically everything about her. Her wide grin, her untameable red hair, the way she seemed to bounce when she walked, the way she wore flowers in her hair, the way she cared about everything and everyone, even him. He didn’t know when it happened, he just noticed one day when it annoyed him how Will constantly held her hand, or when Will would ditch her for his fan-club ‘friends’ but she would still greet him with a hug and a kiss the next day. Both Layla and Will were Warren’s best friends, but where Will was more like his brother, Layla was…something else. 

He hated it. He wasn’t accustomed to friends and never had many. And now that he has finally found two people he genuinely cares for, he has to go and screw it all up because of some stupid feelings for a stupid little girl. 

But even as Warren thought it, he knew he could never believe Layla was just a stupid little girl. She most definitely wasn’t stupid, quite the opposite, she was damn near the top of every assessment and exercise they’ve had. As for little girl…

Warren chanced a look back to Layla. He let his eyes move over her slender neck and shoulders, exposed by the green sweater which hung off her shoulders. Her jawline was soft and not so round as it had been even a year before. Her eyes had also become more shapely, losing the wide innocence of childhood. He tried not to notice other features of her that had become more shapely and less childlike but he usually failed. 

Warren shook his head lightly and decided to stop thinking and start trying to pay attention to the idle teenage gossip. Even though it’ll make him want to stab his brains out with a fork from all the stupidity, at least he won’t be thinking about his best friend’s girlfriend’s ‘other features’. 

Layla glanced at Warren as he absentmindedly shook his head and narrowed her eyes slightly but said nothing. Soon, the bell signifying the end of lunch sounded. The students grabbed their trays to throw away what little, if anything, remained of their lunch before heading to class. Warren and Will walked out of the cafeteria side by side, Will laughing about one of the freshman’s mistake in ray-gun assembly. Warren chuckled, joking with the young celebrity as Layla walked along Will’s other side. Soon Will waved goodbye, gave Layla a kiss (while Warren examined a very interesting marking on the locker next to him), and headed down a different hall to class. Layla and Warren walked for a bit down the same hall until Layla spoke.

“Warren, can we talk?” The words came almost too quick out of her mouth.

Warren stopped, his heart stuttering, and looked to the red head. Her face looked serious. His brows furrowed but he nodded.

“Okay…about what?”

“Are you really sure you’re ok? You’ve just been a little off lately and you looked almost in pain at lunch. Are you getting sick?” Layla questioned.

Her face was heavy with concern and before he could stop her, she stepped forward and placed a hand on his forehead. He froze at the feel of her cool hand on his head and with her so close, if he took a deep enough breath his chest would touch her. Her face scrunched up a bit as she felt the heat in his skin and he couldn’t stop the smirk appearing on his face.

“You are warm.” She said, her voice quiet.

He reached up and lightly grabbed her wrist, removing her hand from his head.

“I’m always warm.” Warren reminded her. 

He lit the pointer finger on his other hand on fire and rose an eyebrow at her pointedly, the smirk growing. She gave a sheepish smile and laughed half halfheartedly.

“Right, pyro, hot body, got it.” she said sheepishly.

He rose both his eyebrows at that and almost as soon as he did her eyes shot wide and her face flushed.

“I didn’t mean…I meant body temperature Warren!”

He gave a rare belly laugh and shook his head. He loved teasing her. She’s so cute when she’s flustered.

“Yeah, yeah sure.”

Layla huffed, her face still pink but a small smile on her face. 

“You’re not sick then. But is there something bothering you? You know you can always tell me.” She almost implored.

Warren let his face slip back to neutral and he shook his head. 

“I’m fine Layla, really. I’ve picked up a couple extra shifts this week so I’m just a little tired.”

This was true. He has been working a lot these past couple of weeks. What Warren wont tell her is the reason is that work is distracting and better than sitting at home thinking about her. 

No, she didn’t need to know that.

Layla gave him a semi skeptical look before she shrugged.

“Alright, if you say so. Just try not to overwork yourself. I’d hate to see you get sick or something. Really does nothing for that bad boy image.” She said, giving him a playful quirk of her lips as she stepped back, looking at him from under her long lashes, a familiar expression that almost kills Warren every time. 

He felt his gut twist and he had to shove his hands deep in the pockets of his jeans to keep himself from reaching out to her. 

‘What the hell is wrong with you??’ he screamed at himself inside his head. 

Noticing the obvious sudden stiffness Layla’s concerned expression returned full force.

“Warren are you shaking? What’s wrong?” she took a step closer her hands going to his shoulders but he jerked back, his momentum forcing him back a couple steps.

“I’m fine. I’ll see you later.” Warren said hastily before turning around and walking as fast as he could down the hall.

That was probably not the best move. He couldn’t look at her as he made his sudden retreat but he was sure she was confused. And probably hurt. Warren heaved a sigh that turned into more of a growl as he entered the training room he knew was empty at this time of the school day. He slammed the door closed with a snarl and more strength then necessary before ramming his fist into the reinforced wall next to it. His hand screamed in pain but he only punched the wall a second and third time. 

Why couldn’t he just keep cool? Why did this seem to be getting worse instead of better? What would she think of his outburst? What else could she think but the obvious?? He had to think of some excuse. Before she tells Will and he makes conclusions that could potentially cause Warren extreme amounts of pain. 

Warren turned his back against the wall and fell back against it. He ran his now throbbing hand through his long hair and leaned his head back. ‘You’ve really fucked this up.’


End file.
